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A Bible Study by Adam Osborne, Jr.

 

Today, I’d like to for us to discuss…. “WHY DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE?”

• Romans 3:23 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
• Romans 5:12 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
• Gen 6:5 (NIV) The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
• Psalms 14:3 (NIV) All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Are there any other scriptures that you can think of that discuss the fact that all men are sinful?”

• Psalms 53:3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
• Psalms 130:3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
• Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?
• Ecclesiastes 7:20 Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
• Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
  and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
• Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
• Micah 7:2 The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains. Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets.
• Galatians 3:22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
• 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
• 1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

But, for “all of us” our sin separates us from God. Is there a scripture that bridges the gap? Is there a scripture that tells us “how” and “why” a Holy God would still cause “Good Things to Happen to Bad people”?

 

 

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV) 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Good things happen to bad people because God promises to:

• Give us Spiritual cleansing:
  • Psalms 65:3 (NIV) When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.
  • Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
• Comfort us:
  • Isaiah 12:1 (NIV) In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.
• Supply all of our bodily needs:
  • Psalms 37:3-6 (NIV)Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
    6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
  • Malachi 3:10 (NIV) Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
• To give us divine sonship:
  • John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
• Give us ETERNAL LIFE:
  • John 3:16 (NIV) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    John 11:26 (NIV) and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
• Give us Spiritual Fullness:
  • John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
• Supply us with unlimited blessings:
  • Mark 9:23 (NIV) “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
• Heal us:
  • Exodus 23:25 (NIV) Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you,
• Answer our prayers:
  • Mark 11:24 (NIV) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
• Remove life’s obstacles:
  • Luke 17: 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
• Give us spiritual LIGHT:
  • John 12:46 (NIV) I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
• Give us Power for His Service:
• John 14:12 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
• Save us:
  • Romans 1:16 (NIV) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
• To be full of compassion and mercy:
  • James 5:11 (NIV) As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
• Be our deliverer:
  • Psalms 116:8-9 (NIV) For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
• That we will not be given more than we can handle:
  • 1 Cor 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
• Give us HOPE:
  • 2 Cor 1:10 (NIV) He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
• Rescue us from evil:
  • 2 Tim 4:18 (NIV) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• Release us from the fear of death:
  • Heb 2:15 (NIV) and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
• Forgive us for our sins:
  • Mark 3:28 (NIV) I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
• Open our eyes and turn us from darkness:
  • Acts 26:18 (NIV) to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
• Be our REDEEMER:
  • Isaiah 44:22 (NIV) I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
• Be our God of MERCY who freely pardons:
  • Isaiah 55:7 (NIV) Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
• Give us perfect peace:
  • Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) 3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
  • John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
• Be the God of plenty:
  • Leviticus 26:5 (NIV) Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.
• Preserve the faithful:
  • Deuteronomy 6:24 (NIV) The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.
• Give us spiritual progress:
  • 2 Cor 3:18 (NIV) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
• Be the God of protection:
  • Psalms 41:2 (NIV) The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
  • Luke 21:18 (NIV) But not a hair of your head will perish.
• Be the God of security:
  • Job 11:18 (NIV) You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
• Bless us when others persecute us:
  • Matt 5:11-12 (NIV) “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
• Make us co-heirs with Christ that we may share in His glory:
  • Romans 8:17 (NIV) Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

DISCLAIMER: I did not come up with the title of this study. I actually heard Adrian Rogers say this “quote” during one of his sermons. Like so many of Adrian’s “quick-quotes”, this one got my mind turning. So, I went home, and put a study together. I did not use his “theme” or plagiarize his study.